Why is the question "religion"? What I have is relationship with the Living God who died a painful sacrificial death for me. I just want others to know Him. What they do with that relationship is not up to me. That's between God and them. Personally, religion is a stench. I do not want a bunch of rules and regulations that I have no help to follow. With Jesus, He lives within me, helping me each day. That is my only hope. That I become more like him and when I screw up I can acknowledge I did wrong and know He loves me just the same and forgives me if I am genuinely sorry. Why do others hate such a loving God? Because he left us guidelines, which when followed bring us life and freedom and when not followed bring heartache and destruction? If there is ANY proof that we desparately need a Savior, it's in the horrible atrocities that human beings perpetrate-in the name of religion or not. Humans are not good at the core-history proves the opposite. Rather we are struggling to try to do something about the sickness which threatens to destroy us. All the while the antedote has already been given. We simply need to accept the medicine provided for our sick hearts. Are people capable of "good" acts-yes, but that does not solve the sickness. James Chapter 2 addresses an important contention: Faith and Deeds
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. ....20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. "......we have to have BOTH faith and actions.....being a follower of Christ means both. If someone CLAIMS to be a Christian, they need to have both.
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. ....20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. "......we have to have BOTH faith and actions.....being a follower of Christ means both. If someone CLAIMS to be a Christian, they need to have both.
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